A World in Grey
by CrimsonChains
Summary: Two beings, both grey stains on the black and white canvas of the world, both haunted by their past, both protectors. Today the dying sun met the bleeding moon and their worlds saw a bright ray of light through the clouds of war. Ichigo x Allen, rated for blood, gore, some yaoi and... that's it for now. No like, no read.
1. Chapter 1: Karakura Town

**Hello to everyone who decided to see if this story is any good! This is my first fanfic, I hope it'll turn out well... I was catching up with the D. Gray-Man manga the other day and it just hit me like a ton of bricks how depressing the whole thing is, so here's my own twist that may result in a happier Allen or a failed fanfiction**

**Warnings: Blood, gore, insanity (curtsey of Shiro and Nea) and a boy x boy pairing**

**Disclaimer: Neither Bleach nor D. Gray-Man belong to me**

"Talking"

_'Thinking/talking to inner spirits in thoughts'_

**"Hollow/Noah/Zanpakuto talking"**

_**"Hollow/Noah/Zanpakuto talking in thoughts"**_

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Chapter 1

Into Karakura Town

A slender figure covered by a too large black hoodie staggered down an empty sidewalk and into an alleyway where he collapsed, groaning in pain when the sudden movement made his wounds flare up in protest. He pulled his legs into his body and let his head rest on his knees, a few strands of pure white hair sticking out from under his hood, his breathing was uneven and he could feel every scratch and bruise piling onto the pain he already felt.

Two days ago he had arrived in the forests surrounding Karakura Town and was attacked by a level 3 Akuma. Normally he would have been able to kill the pitiful machine but by then it had been a few days since he had eaten properly which left his Innocence horribly weak. Sure, he had managed to defeat the Akuma but not without a significant cost, the fight had left him with many small injuries as well as a gash down his right arm and right side and a cracked rib from having been thrown into the ground.

The injuries hurt but he could finally breathe a sigh of relief, Nea had been right, there were no Akuma in Karakura Town even id the town itself was in Japan which was still being over-run by Akuma. The Black Order being too afraid to send any Exorcists there for fear of too many losses. _'And lack of any Innocence induced phenomena to replace such losses.' _Allen thought back angrily to how the Black Order had used the Exorcists as nothing more than tools for destroying Akuma.

Allen had initially wanted to use the Ark to get here - having dis-activated all of its doors that the Order knew of - to avoid having to take detours in case of coming across some Black Order Exorcists but he found that he was unable to open a door within a range of a few miles past the Karakura forest. That piece of information had led him to believe what Nea had said about the barrier of Karakura. This town really was the only Akuma-free zone left in Japan, or any part of Asia to be precise.

The various wounds had tired the boy out and having found a secluded place to stay he considered sleep – which he had been deprived of thanks to his injuries – before surrendering the control of his body to the other, less sane inhabitant of his mind.

_'Nea, wake me up if there's trouble.'_

_**'If there is any 'trouble' I will take care of it, you need the sleep nephew.' **_The caring voice of the 14th Noah, stated and the boy let himself fall into a deep sleep.

The young boy woke up to the sound of explosions followed by ear-piercing screams, after a few curses were thrown at Nea, the Noah decided relinquishing his hold on the boy's body and allow the teen to stand up and walk out of the alley, his legs still weak from blood loss and fatigue. As soon as he left the shelter of the alley his left eye changed - the sclera bled into black, the iris turning red while a black, upside-down pentacle replaced his pupil, a monocle like silver cog turning around the eye with a smaller cog following it's path.

_'Nea, I thought you said no Akuma could enter Karakura Town?' _The boy sounded cold and detached.

_**'Yes, Allen, that is what I said and I wasn't wrong, but that doesn't mean that it can't be something just as bad as an Akuma... or worse' **_The last part was said quietly enough for Allen not to hear as he turned towards where the explosions were coming from. People were running down the street shouting about a 'gas pipe explosion' and 'terrorists'. Allen looked around at the destruction and could see that it could have been easily mistaken for terrorism or faulty gas pipes, that is if he hadn't looked further, into the rubble of a collapsed building.

The sight that met the Allen's mismatched dark eyes was that of a monster out of a horror film. It must have been the size of a two story house. An incectoid, segmented body reared into the air, twisting and howling in anger letting the shocked teen see a hole in its body that went cleanly through. The creature had a white mask with two horns that twisted into a spiral - like those of a ram - while acid yellow eyes stared at him through long, thin slits in the bone-like mask.

This was no Akuma. Not only was there no machinery on the body of the creature and a hole trough its chest that would have killed an Akuma, but as Allen looked further up he saw the soul...

The soul was what had Allen staring, unbelievingly. The horrid and unnatural body that the monster exhibited he was used to, but what he could see above it made him shiver. His cursed eye let him see the soul that was chained to the monster's body. The teen felt fear as the spirit grinned darkly and laughed killing innocent passers by with it's monstrous body, that expression reminded him too much of Tyki Mikk.

_'What is that thing, why is it's soul like that?'_

_**'That my young nephew I do not know but what I do know is that in your condition there is nothing you can do about that monster no matter what it is.'**_

_'Are you saying that I should let it kill all it wants?!' _Allen hissed at the 14th as he stood on the spot watching the destruction before him, the fear of the spirit turning into anger.

_**'Yes that is what I'm saying... I don't want you to get hurt.' **_This startled the teen out of his anger as Nea hardly ever showed any emotions other than indifference and occasional warmth seeping into his voice but this certainly was different, the 14th sounded worried and almost desperate.

_'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you, it was you who saved me from that Akuma a few days back and told me about this town after all. I know I should trust you more but I can't let this... _thing_ kill bystanders.' _Allen could feel the Noah nod he's head and almost cringed at the worry radiating from him but held back the feeling, right now he had to destroy the monstrosity. A little girl screamed as she run past him while he walked towards the creature.

"Innocence Activate," The skin on Allen's left arm turned metallic and his fingers turned into long blade-like claws that ripped through the glove he wore to hide his disfigured hand. A white, light but incredibly strong material enveloped him taking the shape of a cloak, a silver masquerade mask slipped onto his face and his right arm was covered in the same material as his cloak that shifted to form tightly around the whole arm and hand. "Crown Clown." Allen hissed as pain flashed through his body wave after wave, the Innocence was like a lead weight on his shoulders and arms making the slightest scratch and bruise hurt like the pain in right arm had before, while that in turn was now also magnified making Allen's vision blur and darken.

"Crown Belt." The uneven ends of his white cloak elongated and hardened into a spider web pattern lifting him into the air. He gritted his teeth and tried to ignore the pain from his still unhealed injuries. The pain receded slightly and he let the cloak go back to it's original form leaving him in mid-air as he directed strings of the white cloth towards the monster wrapping it around one of it's horns and contracting the string in order to pull himself closer to the creature while pulling back his left, clawed hand.

Upon contact with his claws the monster's mask cracked and it screeched in pain before disintegrating into dust like particles.

_'It's about as strong as a level 1... I expected more from that thing.' _Allen dropped to the ground using Crown Belt to slow his descent and promptly dis-activating his Innocence to save energy. He was breathing heavily as his wounds throbbed in pain, an arm around his now bleeding side. He turned away from the wreckage of shops and other buildings and started walking in search of a place to rest.

He heard a ghostly sound of tearing behind him but dismissed it as his imagination. His left eye was already dis-activating only to start moving around uncontrollably searching for more bound souls. Allen staggered to a wall, leaned against it and placed a hand over his cursed eye to try and ease the pain of it's constant movement. Then it stopped. The eye seemed to be staring through his hand at a spot back where he killed the masked monster. Allen let his hand drop only for his muscles to freeze up in fear, his body was telling him that he was looking at a predator.

The sky was torn open and a black void was seen beyond, a figure, smaller than the previous monster but still much larger than a human stepped out and stood effortlessly in mid-air. It had a vaguely humanoid body with a small, perfectly circular hole that went straight through it's abdomen and a mask that reminded Allen of a knight's helmet. Golden, noah-like eyes stared at him through the grille with a murderous and keen gaze.

"**That weakling escaped it seams but looks like I found something better instead. Time to feast." **It stated in a gleeful voice that seemed to echo, sounding like there was more than one person speaking at the same time. The humanoid lifted its leg as if to step forward before disappearing and appearing before Allen with a low boom as air was displaced. **"What a beautiful soul you have, this may finally satisfy my hunger."**Allen's eyes widened as the monster gripped his neck and lifted him from the ground, Allen thrashed and tried to get the hands to release their choking grip on him. He wanted to activate his Innocence but his energy had been drained almost completely by activating it earlier making it impossible to do so now.

_'Nea, help me.' _Allen pleaded despreatly. _'I didn't get this far to die!'_Allen didn't hear Nea's response - if there had been one - but a brief flash of orange filled his vision before he blacked out from loss of air and exhaustion.

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An insistent, repeating cry of 'Hollow' emitted by a wooden badge adorned with a stylised skull pulled a tired groan from under the duvet before a head of strikingly orange hair emerged followed by a hand that blindly searched for the annoyingly loud wooden badge. For his half-hearted efforts Ichigo fell out of bed after accidentally flicking the badge off his desk.

"Ichigo you moron! Turn that thing off, I'm trying to sleep!" An annoying squeaky voice shouted from the mouth of a lion shaped plush toy that stared angrily at the dishevelled teen while pointing at the badge that was only getting louder and louder.

"Shut up Kon, who asked for your opinion anyway?" The now also angered and tired teen glared at the lion toy before reaching for the badge, but it was gone.

"Looking for this moron?" Kon was holding the missing badge proudly.

"Give that back right now or I'll leave you in pill form next time." Ichigo threatened while chasing the lion that was jumping between pieces of furniture. Kon turned and threw a notebook at Ichigo who easily dodged it before jumping at Kon in an attempt to grab the shinigami badge, Kon's eyes widened before he threw the badge at Ichigo who caught it.

Ichigo stood up straight, his face serious again as he straightened his clothes, his brown eyes darkening in thought before he turned to Kon. "Now shut up and make sure nothing happens to my body, or you'll regret it." The orange haired teen sat on his bed before pressing the badge to his chest and releasing his shinigami form. His lifeless body was absorbed into his shinigami badge while he opened his bedroom window and jumped out, now dressed in the black shinigami shinigami uniform with Zangetsu clasped onto a red chain on his back.

The wind ruffled his hair as he used shunpo to get to the hollow quicker, the quicker he got there the quicker he could go back to sleep, it may have been mid-morning by now but he was still tired from his visit to Soul Society the night before. The idiots were still celebrating Aizen's defeat and Ichigo's miraculous recovery of his powers. He still had to thank Rukia and Renji for allowing him a chance to escape and rest at home.

Ichigo stopped momentarily as he searched for a more exact location for the hollow, threads appeared around him, most were white – humans – but there was two different ones, one was black – a hollow – but the other one startled him, it was the usual white of a human but around it were entwined a thin, light green thread and a slightly thicker yellow, almost golden one. Ichigo grabbed both seeing as the locations were close to one-another and headed there following the threads.

Half of the way to the site the black thread disappeared but was swiftly replaced by another, thicker one - a higher level hollow. Ichigo cursed and sped up.

The scene to which Ichigo arrived was typical of a low-level hollow's rampage while the two threads lead to a near by building where, pressed against the wall was a white-haired teenager trying to free himself from the hollow's grasp. The hollow was adjuchas level and Ichigo flash stepped behind it before slicing its mask in half, letting it slump to the side as it disintegrated while he checked the condition of the white-haired teen. The boy's appearance was beyond startling, messy white hair fell into the boy's face half covering a jagged scar the ran across his left eye ending in an upside-down pentagram above his brow which was also white. The hair reminded Ichigo of Toshiro as did the boy's hight but his pale complexion - only a shade or two darker than his hair colour - reminded him of Ulquiorra causing Ichigo to shudder at the memory.

The strange spirit thread was attached to the boy's chest, Ichigo let go of the end he was holding and let it dissipate. The boy was breathing shakily and seemed to be unconscious, his pulse was slowing drastically as he bled out onto the cement from two large wounds on the right side of his body. Ichigo released a small pulse of his hollow reiatsu into the boys wounds making them start to close up as he picked him up bridal style and started to shunpo back to his house.

_**'Looky here what you found! Aint he a pretty one?' **_The annoying echoing voice of Shiro, his hollow half and personal hell, chose to wake up.

_'If you don't shut up I'm going to set Tensa Zangetsu on you.' _Ichigo growled back.

_**'You wouldn't dare... would you Aibo?' **_Shiro's defiant statement was destroyed by the childish uncertainty that was all too clear to hear in his voice.

_'Try me.' _Ichigo sent a mental glare at his hollow who went strangely silent. That's one annoying being in his life dealt - with for now - all that was left was to hope that his dad wouldn't make too much of a fuss about him bringing an unconscious teen home.

Ichigo reached for the door handle but stopped himself at the last moment and stepped to the side allowing his dad to sail past him in a flying kick before meeting the cold hard pavement outside the door. "Ichigo! What has my lovely son do..." The over-exagerrated shouts from ground level stopped as soon as Ichigo's dad saw that his son was carrying an unconscious and bleeding boy. "Bring him inside Ichigo, there's an empty bed in the clinic. I'll be right there."

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**So that's the first Chapter! I hope that some of you readers review and while I love constructive criticism, any and all flames will be used to toast marshmallows.**


	2. Chapter 2: Hollow or Akuma

**I can't believe I managed to get this chapter done so quickly but all the explanations were so tedious to write, they still seem rushed to me -_- ah well!**

**Warnings: Blood, gore, insanity (curtsey of Shiro and Nea) and a boy x boy pairing**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Bleach or -Man**

**"Talking"**

_**'Thinking/talking to inner spirits in thoughts'**_

**"Hollow/Noah/Zanpakuto talking"**

_**"Hollow/Noah/Zanpakuto talking in thoughts"**_

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Chapter 2

Hollow or Akuma

Allen woke up in a small room painted a clinical blue and white that reminded him of a hospital. He lay in a soft bed with crisp white sheets, his wounds were tended to and bandaged while his clothes were on a small cabinet next to the bed washed and folded into a perfectly neat pile.

"I see that you're awake. Do any of your wounds hurt?" A kind, deep voice said from the far corner of the room where an orange-haired teen sat, a pair of chocolate-brown eyes staring at him over the top of a Shakespeare novel. Allen blushed at the unwavering gaze that was directed his way while considering if the unusual hair colour that the other teen exhibited was natural but remembering that he had white hair, the other teenager's hair colour seemed quite normal.

Allen was glad for the Japanese lessons that Nea had taught him before coming to Karakura, he would have been at a loss without them. "Umm... I'm fine now, thank you." He's voice sounded unsure, his wounds still hurt but he felt like he was imposing by being here and someone was bound to start asking questions which he didn't want to answer sooner or later if he stayed.

"Do you need anything?" The teen's voice was still kind but Allen could see how guarded his eyes and expression was. To Allen's embarrassment his stomach grumbled causing a light chuckle to erupt from the orange-haired teen.

"I'll get you food then, you're gonna love Yuzu's cooking." The teen shut his book with a low thump and placing it on the same cabinet where Allen's clothes lay before heading towards the door where he stopped and turned back towards Allen. "Don't get up, let your body rest. I'll get dad to check your wounds."

The teen promptly left the room but not before Allen caught a slightly annoyed and exasperated look on his face. From outside the door Allen could hear shouting followed by the sound of something smashing then silence. The white-haired teen considered following the other teen but the bed was comfy and his body refused to move.

About two minutes later the teen returned with a large plate filled with Japanese food and a dark-haired man in tow who looked at Allen and smiled a goofy smile. "I'm Dr. Isshin Kurosaki, that's my useless son Ichigo. What's your name?"

"Allen Walker, sir." Allen turned to Ichigo who was glaring at his father for the comment before turning to Allen and handed him the plate.

"If you want more I'll bring some later." Allen thanked Ichigo and devoured the food in record time leaving a wide-eyed Isshin and Ichigo staring at the now empty plate.

"I'll need you to stand up to check your injuries, then you can eat all you want." The dark-haired man said noticing the hungry look in Allen's eyes, Allen got up of the bed with Ichigo's help and let the doctor unwrap the bandages around his waist, chest and right arm. The wounds were healing well and Isshin proceeded to re-wrap them. When the doctor reached for Allen's left arm Allen flinched back and looked away.

"There's no need for you to see my left arm, it's fine." Allen pulled the disfigured arm behind his back and turned restricting any access to it.

"Don't worry Allen, it's fine. Just let me see it so I can check if the scratches aren't infected." Isshin gave Allen a stern look and Allen stuck out his left arm looking away and cringing at the reactions he was expecting. Isshin carefully unwrapped the bandages and gave a appreciative whistle at the dark, metallic skin underneath.

Ichigo's eyes widened in shock that quickly turned to understanding as he looked at the disfigured arm, his hand subconsciously drifted to the tattoos that using Saigo no Getsuga Tensho had left on him, remembering how instead of making him loose his powers the attack had left his in a coma for over ten months. It had changed him. Not only had he finally understood his hollow side and reached an agreement with him but after waking up from his coma he had felt his spirit form change.

He was now able to seal his sword, his Shikai had also changed - the blade had become more complex looking more like a trench knife with a black handle ending with a black chain – as had his Bankai – the once simple black daito had become longer and gained sharp ridges on one of it's sides, also his trench coat changed, the bottom part being torn into three separate sections but most noticeably, his right hand retained the black gauntlet while his left became black and clawed like during the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho. The last thing that had changed was that when he compressed his reiatsu – that included Bankai - his hair turned black, his eyes red like the colour of his reiatsu. Luckily those changes didn't affect his human body – accept for the tattoos that is – it would have been a nightmare to explain the changed appearance.

"I told you, there was no need to see it... it's horrible isn't it?" Allen's voice was soft and quiet, his eyes downcast.

"No, you're wrong Allen, it's just unexpected. That white cross, does it mean anything?" Isshin had his hand on the smooth metallic skin trying to figure out what had made the skin so dark and strong.

_'__Nea, help me here! Should I tell them about Exorcists?'_

**_'You could, they saved you after all but then again, they may not believe you.' _**The simple and instant answer seemed to reassure Allen as he relaxed slightly.

_'I'll give it a shot, if they don't believe me then then they won't be the first.'_

Allen took a deep breath to calm his thoughts. "I used to be an exorcist, a person chosen by God to synchronise with one unique piece of God crystal or as we call it: Innocence, and defeat Akuma. Akuma are machines created by the Millennium Earl that trap a soul and force it to do the Earl's bidding, while Innocence is the only thing that can kill the machine and save the soul. Once synchronised with Innocence the exorcist chooses what weapon to make it into to help them fight the Akuma, those are the equipment type users. It's either that or the Innocence gets into your body and turns you into a parasitic type like me." Allen pointed to his arm and waited for Ichigo's and Dr. Kurosaki's reactions. What followed wasn't what he had expected.

"Akuma, ey? Is that what caused all those injuries?" This time it was Ichigo who spoke but he wasn't laughing or teasing, Ichigo's face was a mixture of anger and seriousness while his father had an impassive expression while his eyes were completely serious.

_'They actually believed me!' _Allen's shock must have shown on his face so he replaced it with his patented care-free smile, and rubbed his neck in feigned embarrassment. "Yeah, my Innocence wasn't strong enough because I hadn't eaten enough for a few days and a parasitic Innocence feeds of the user's energy, but my injuries were healing fine until these weird Akuma-like monsters with masks and holes in their chests appeared. It was unusual because while Akuma are visible to normal people, the people running from the monsters didn't seem to see the them, just the explosions they caused." Allen said thoughtfully, shivering slightly when he remembered the blood-thirsty soul that controlled the monster and sitting back down on the bed as Dr. Isshin finished wrapping his wounds.

Ichigo's stance turned almost predatory at the mention of the invisible masked monsters. "You can see hollows? Why am I even asking, your reiryoku is stronger than Uryu's and _he_ can see hollows so I don't see why _you_ shouldn't." Allen's face was a picture of complete confusion.

_'Have you heard of that creature before Nea?'_

**_'I'm sorry Allen but I haven't, maybe it's some natural Akuma or something similar.' _**Now that was a terrifying prospect - a _natural_ Akuma – it would mean that even if the Black Order won the Holy War and the Earl was dead it wouldn't stop the destruction that the Akuma caused.

"What are _Hollows_?"

"I guess I should tell you considering that you can see those bastards." Ichigo went silent for a few moments as if considering what to tell Allen. "Let's start from the basics, and I'm going to say that you should be glad that Rukia isn't here. "

"Who's Rukia?"

"If I tell you about Hollows then you're bound to meet her sooner or later, just don't ask her to explain anything... ever." Ichigo shuddered at some unpleasant memory before continuing. "so, when someone dies their soul leaves their body and wonders around the living world until they either pass on by themselves which most souls do, a Shinigami performs Konso on them making them pass on or they turn into a Hollow. To turn into a Hollow, the spirit must have either been a sinner in life, have strong attachments to the living world after death that cause them to stay here until their Chain of Fate erodes completely, be overcome by negative emotions after death or be eaten by another Hollow."

At this point in the explanation Dr. Isshin had left the room with a nod to Ichigo who smiled slightly and continued. "Hollows are cannibalistic and while they tend to go after people and souls with high reiryoku they won't turn their nose of another strong Hollow. The more a Hollow feeds the stronger it becomes; Hollows are divided into nameless low-level Hollows and the Menos. Menos are Hollows that have devoured enough souls to start evolving, the weakest of those are Gillians then Adjuchas and Vasto Lorde. Also some Hollows succeed in tearing their own masks off resulting in the strongest of Hollows, an Arrancar." By the end of the explanation Allen's brain was racing to catch up with all the information resulting in a strange mixture of surprise and puzzlement in his expression.

"So they are natural Akuma." Allen's was shocked, this information would be devastating if found out about by the Earl. "I hope you don't mind me asking but how do you know all this and what are those Shinigami that you mentioned?"

Ichigo tensed at the question but after what seemed like a mental debate he sighed and gave Allen a dark look that he himself had seen each time he looked in the mirror. Ichigo had haunted eyes, ones darkened beyond their natural colour by death and loss. That's when Allen started to notice the other mostly hidden quirks that reminded Allen of himself, such as the constantly ready stance and the smiles that didn't quite reach his eyes.

"I'll explain about the Shinigami first; Shinigami or angels of death, death gods, soul reapers and so on regulate the flow of souls. Once souls pass on they go to a place called Soul Society where they live out their spirit lives until they are reincarnated, but some souls have higher reiryoku than others allowing them to materialise it and use it in the form of reiatsu - and pure reiatsu is _very_ destructive. All souls can become Shinigami after learning how to control their powers at the Shino Academy, the souls with more reiatsu become the most powerful."

"Shinigami live to kill Hollows and other spiritual dangers to souls, help souls pass on and protect Soul Society. No living person can become a Shinigami... but like with every rule, there has to be an anomaly. I'm that anomaly; I'm a substitute shinigami, a living, breathing human with a soul that has shinigami powers." Ichigo finished with a guarded look in his chocolate eyes that almost screamed 'don't ask about my past'. "I'm sorry I couldn't get to you quicker. It's my fault you're injuries have re-opened."

Allen stared shocked at the downcast eyes of the Shinigami before smiling lightly. "There's no need to apologise, I've had worse during my time as an exorcist but thank you anyway; no-one has said anything half as nice to me since-" Allen cut himself off before he said too much. _'Since the Black Order found out I had Nea's soul inside me.'_

**_'I'm sorry Allen, had I known that my actions would result in something like this I would have never let my soul join yours.'_**

_'It's alright Nea, you were only trying to survive. No-one can blame you for that and what has already happened couldn't have been foreseen.'_Allen's voice held a kind and comforting quality that had pulled the Noah towards his soul as shelter from death.

**_'Thank you Allen.'_**

The next few minutes were spent in comfortable silence, both teenagers lost in their own thoughts. That is until Isshin walked into the clinic with an over-excited look on his face and shouted. "Dinner is ready!"

"Shut up old man." Ichigo grumbled before leaving the room to help Yuzu set up the dinning table.

"Why don't you join us for dinner Allen? If you can't walk I'll bring you some here."

"I can walk now, it's really fine. Thank you Dr. Kurosaki." Allen stood up to prove the point.

"Just call me Isshin. Now, do you need help getting changed or can you manage?"

"Thank you Kurosaki-san, I can manage." Allen walked over to his clothes, a pair of black skinny jeans, a loose white dress shirt and a red ribbon; he left his knee-high black boots where they stood. The tattered hoodie he had worn instead of his exorcist coat must have been thrown away, but that was no loss, he had only brought it to hide his unusual appearance.

"I'll be waiting outside the door for you."

Once dressed Allen followed Dr. Isshin out of the clinic and into the living room where he was greeted by the wonderful smell of curry. A young girl with short blond hair tied in two ponytails a colourful apron stuck her head out of the kitchen and smiled a huge smile to which Allen couldn't help but smile back.

"Hello! I'm Yuzu, Ichigo's sister. Are you the boy who Ichigo brought in yesterday?" Her voice reflected her smile perfectly but was hinted with slight worry.

"Hi, and yes, that's me. I'm Allen Walker nice to meet you. Also, thank you very much for the food earlier, it was amazing." Yuzu nodded and smiled wider before returning to the kitchen.

A few moments later Yuzu's voice filled the living room as she carried the steaming rice and curry sauce onto the table. "Ichigo take an extra plate to the table and some cutlery, and Karin, don't be so anti-social and introduce yourself."

Ichigo went to get the plate and cutlery while another girl, this time with black hair got up from the couch and stalked over to Allen. "Hi, I'm Karin, Ichigo's other sister." She stuck her hand out and Allen shook it introducing himself again before following her to the table.

After finishing his errand Ichigo joined them and sat down next to Allen while Yuzu sat next to Karin and their dad sat at the end of the table. Dinner was quiet accept until Yuzu's inquisitiveness won over.

"So Allen, where are you from, is there anyone we should call to tell them that you're here?"

"I'm British but I've been travelling around for quite a while now." Allen paused thinking of the Black Order, Lenalee might want to know that he was still alright but she would end up telling Komui and that wouldn't end well. "I don't think there's anyone that needs to know I'm here."

"Ok then, well you're going to be staying with us, until your wounds heal at least. How old are you?" Isshin asked.

"I'm about sixteen Kurosaki-san."

"About?"

"I was abandoned when I was little so I don't know my birthday, when I was adopted by General Cross I was about five so I've been counting from there." Allen smiled slightly but he could feel that the smile didn't quite reach his eyes. Yuzu looked like she was about to cry, Ichigo's expression became blank just like his sister Karin's while their dad had that serious look again before breaking into a goofy smile.

"If you have no-where to stay you can stay with us!"

"That's very kind of you Kurosaki-san, I think I'll take you up on that offer."

"From now on you will be my second son Allen! You can stay in Ichigo's room." He stood up to hug Allen but received a foot to the face from Ichigo.

"Shut up old man!" Ichigo proceeded to kick his father into the nearby wall. Allen stared in shock as Isshin stood up and run to a huge poster of a beautiful woman before breaking down into over-exaggerated tears.

"Our son doesn't love me any more! How could this happen" The continued remarks earned him another kick but this time curtsey of a fuming Karin. "Dad I thought I told you to take that poster down!"

"Karin-chan, Ichi-nii-san please stop fighting, it's rude." Yuzu's voice sounded like a mother scolding her children and immediately both Karin and Ichigo stopped, Karin returning to the sofa while Ichigo started going upstairs.

"Come on Allen, you'll be sleeping in my room. You never know when the clinic will be needed again." He shouted back down and Allen obediently followed him to a room with a black fifteen in a diamond-shaped black frame. "We can go shopping to get you new clothes tomorrow, you should be fine with walking farther distances by then, seeing how you heal quicker than normal."

"Thank you Kurosaki-san." Allen smiled to the taller teen. Who opened the door and led Allen into his room, it was average size and everything was clean and ordered.

"I hate formalities, call me Ichigo." Ichigo smiled back at him opening the closet and pulling a futon out, it was already getting dark outside.

"Ok, Ichigo-san."

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**The explanations in this chapter sound really flat and boring to me but it'd be too much effort to change them now no there, end of chapter 2. Remember to follow if you liked it and review**

**All flames will be used to toast marshmallows :D**


	3. Chapter 3: Understanding

**I apologise for not updating for so long, the fault mostly goes to the constantly multiplying plot bunnies in my head that are making it impossible to concentrate on what I'm writing. But here it is finally done, a fluffy moment between Ichigo and Allen. I'll have to make Allen and Ichigo not as dense emotion wise as the anime/manga may show them to be. I'm simply too impatient.**

**Warnings: Blood, gore, insanity (curtsey of Shiro and Nea but mostly Shiro) and a boy x boy pairing**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Bleach or -Man**

**"Talking"**

**_'Thinking/talking to inner spirits in thoughts'_**

**"Hollow/Noah/Zanpakuto talking"**

**_'Hollow/Noah/Zanpakuto talking in thoughts'_**

* * *

Chapter 3

Understanding

Ichigo had finished making a place for himself to sleep while Allen sat on Ichigo's bed after asking if he could help and receiving a glare from Ichigo that said 'hell no, you're injured'. Ichigo looked up from his work and went to sit at his desk facing Allen, it was already dark outside and the moonlight made Allen's hair look like silver. _'He looks like an angel.'_ Was Ichigo's first thought, then he let his eyes meet Allen's. The silver orbs were a clouded grey, a distant look in them as he stared at the floor making them look lifeless.

At dinner Allen remembered feeling something that he hadn't truly felt in a very long time - he felt like he finally came home. Ichigo's family were so accepting and easygoing that they made Allen feel like part of the family, he hadn't felt like that since Mana's death and, after finding out about Nea he understood that Mana most likely only wanted him because he had Nea's soul inside him, he felt like the time he had spent with the kind clown was just a cruel dream devised to show him what he could never have.

Even General Cross had only wanted him because he had the 14th's license and his Innocence. '_And to pay his depths off.' _Allen narrowed his eyes at the memories of his time with the elusive general - at least he learnt how to 'win' at poker. Then his mental debate moved to the Black Order... they were most like family to him - after Mana - but they too only wanted to associate with him because of his Innocence, then after finding out that he had a Noah's soul in his body they had imprisoned and abandoned him; and now there was the Kurosaki family, they had taken him in as a wounded stranger, then offered to let him stay until his wounds healed before extending the invitation to 'you can live with us'. Allen felt a lump form in his throat, his thoughts coming to a halt.

Ichigo's eyes widened a fraction as he saw tears gathering in the white-haired teen's eyes, Allen hung his head and clenched his fists to stop them from shaking as his tears fell uncontrollably. "Allen? Allen, what's wrong? Is it your wounds? Allen?" Ichigo's kind, soft voice reached Allen who opened his mouth to speak before closing it again, after another attempt and a choking sob Allen managed, "I- I don't deserve any of this- I don't deserve your family's kindness. I'm a- an exorcist, a monster- I'm just a weapon, I have done n- nothing to deserve being treated t- this well."

Allen's stuttered speech left Ichigo shocked. 'A monster'? 'Just a weapon'? What had happened to the teen to have caused him to think so lowly of himself? Had the Black Order been the cause of this? Why was he all the way in Japan anyway? Was he running? If so, who was he running from? Ichigo remembered the sad, detached look that had flooded Allen's eyes when he spoke of the Order and it clicked. Allen must have been running from the Order. But _why_? What had he done to have to run away? If the Order was anything like the old Soul Society then Ichigo had some vague ideas about the answer to that question, and none of them did anything to quell the anger that had started to bubbled to the surface. His eyes were bound to be turning gold and black by now. He forcefully squashed the anger and left it for later, he pitied any hollow that would choose to show up in Karakura tonight.

Distraught sobs caused Ichigo to stop his sinner rant. He reached towards the crying angel and pulled him closer to himself giving him a well practised hug that he had used to comfort his sisters many times before. His strong but lean arms wrapped around Allen's shaking form.

"Everyone deserves kindness Allen. Dad really wants you to stay with us, as do Karin and Yuzu and me. You deserve to have a family and even if we are all weird and different we can be that family for you. Also, Yuzu would be distraught if you just left." Allen's shaking shoulders had steadied slightly but the tears kept pouring, so Ichigo let them, the boy needed to let go of all the emotions that he had kept on such a tight leash. They were only breaking him apart. Not that Ichigo could give advice about that, he was probably worse that Allen when it came to showing his weaker side.

_**'Aibo, when d'ya turn into such a sap? If ya're gonna continue I'm gonna puke."**_

_'Zangetsu, make sure that Shiro _behaves _himself.' _Ichigo growled mentally ignoring Shiro.

_**'It'll be my pleasure Ichigo.' **_Ichigo shivered slightly at the malice directed towards his hollow side by his Zanpakuto. This had been another unexpected change that had occurred because of the Saigo no Getsuga Tensho; the personalities of the three souls that inhabited Ichigo's body had mixed with each other.

Ichigo had become colder and more calculative while also being easier to anger and more vicious in battle, Shiro had calmed down slightly too and gained an odd fascination in Shakespeare which amused Zangetsu to no end. Then there was Zangetsu... the once cold and calm older man had started to show a darker personality that was the cause of Shiro's distress at any time when Zangetsu was bored, while when in his younger form, Tensa Zangetsu became hotheaded, impulsive and bloodthirsty on top of his usually stoic personality. The changes were still strange to Ichigo but he was starting to get used to them.

"Ichigo?" Allen's small and slightly shaky voice broke the brooding Shinigami out of his thoughts. Ichigo loosened his hold on the white-haired boy and let him slide off his lap before replying. "Yes, Allen?"

"Thank you." Allen looked up at Ichigo and gave him a small but genuine smile. It looked beautiful on the teen's face and Ichigo vowed to make it appear more often.

"No need to thank me. Now how about you go take a shower, I'll just get you something you can sleep in." Ichigo proceeded to get up and walk over to his closet and rummage through the clothes he used to wear before his coma, Allen looked about the same height as he did back then and luckily he hadn't gotten around to throwing the now too small clothes out. After a short while Ichigo picked out some loose jogging bottoms and a baggy shirt that he threw over his shoulder at Allen.

The orange-haired teen heard a small 'meep' as Allen caught the flying clothes and got up to go to the bathroom. "Umm... where's the bathroom?"

"Go right down the hallway, it's the last door, there should be an extra toothbrush in the cupboard above the sink. Oh, and here's an extra towel." Ichigo handed the other teen a white and red striped towel receiving a nod and "thank you." in return before Allen left the room.

Allen found the bathroom without any problems. It was average sized and completely white, with a large bathtub that looked very inviting but Allen being tired by now settled for a shower instead. Placing his clothes to the side Allen stripped then set to work undoing his bandages, luckily the only ones left were the ones on his chest and the waist. He looked down at his scared torso with a frown, a nasty purple and green bruise along his ribs standing out against his ivory skin. He got in the shower and turned it on letting the hot water run down his tired body.

The water relaxed his muscles and it wasn't long before his mind began to wander. He finally had a place where he felt at home. The Kurosaki family may be beyond strange, with a hyperactive dad, twins - one a tomboy, the other a motherly figure - and Ichigo, a Soul Reaper, but they fully accepted him.

Now that Allen thought about it, he had never expected there to be such beings as Soul Reapers, much less for there to be one who was... well, alive. Ichigo may have said he was an anomaly and that was something that Allen could understand but he strangely felt that they were more alike that he could see at first glance. He idly wondered if Ichigo knew what it was like to have another occupant in his body, something along the lines of the Noah soul inside him... a friendly and protective if a tad bit insane Noah.

Allen's thoughts shifted to what being a living Soul Reaper must be like. Living with a foot in each world, with living beings, the other a world of deceased souls. Seeing people who were living and having to be the one to send them on to the next life when they died. Living for the dead. It was a morbid thought but Allen was the same. He lived for the Akuma – to save them – just like he lived for living people. It must be hard have to send people to the afterlife, knowing that someone was grieving for them, for the loss of a parent, friend, neighbour or acquaintance knowing that they would never see them again.

A lone tear fell from Allen's eyes at those thoughts. Being a Soul Reaper must be much harder than being an exorcist yet Ichigo can still be so kind and welcoming to a complete stranger.

Allen finished showering and turned off the water. He quickly dried himself off and put on the clothes that Ichigo had given him, slightly surprised when they fit him almost perfectly, only a bit too wide at the shoulders. Allen looked at himself in the small mirror above the sink, he was still pale as always, his scar painfully contrasting the light tone. Overall he looked better than before the fight with Kanda and Alma – no more dark bags under his eyes, his eyes themselves weren't bloodshot only slightly dulled from exhaustion.

Allen reached up to the cupboard and opened it searching for the toothbrush which he found quickly, ripping off the packaging and binning it, then brushing his teeth quickly. Once done he rinsed his mouth and the toothbrush before putting it away and collecting all his clothes.

Back in his room Ichigo lay back on the futon spread over the floor and let his mind drift over the very peculiar events that had lead up to this situation - an exorcist living with the Kurosakis. Ichigo hadn't expected much when he had gone out to hunt the hollows that had disturbed his sleep, he remembered his confusion when the first hollow had disappeared but it could have just gone back to Hueco Mundo when it felt the adjuchas coming into the living world. The appearance of the second, stronger hollow had worried him but that also could have been explained that the adjuchas had been hunting the nameless hollow or it had been drawn by Allen's strangely high spiritual pressure.

While on the subject of Allen's spirit pressure Ichigo remembered the odd spirit thread that belonged to the boy, the white one – explained by him being human – tangled with a green thread that emitted a protective and powerful feeling. '_Must be Allen's Innocence.' _Then there was the gold thread that seemed to thrum with contained power, it had felt... dark, for lack of a better word, almost like Shiro's reiatsu but still more calm and human than his bloodthirsty hollow.

Allen hadn't mentioned anything about having a power other than Innocence. Was that power something not related to being an exorcist or was it part of this 'Innocence'? Exorcists sounded much like the human version of Shinigami to Ichigo. Innocence instead of a Zanpakuto... it sounded right. Then the hollow like reiatsu of that spirit thread... it must have been the exorcist version of a hollow. What had Allen called it...Akuma! But that would have meant that Allen was likely a mix between what the exorcists seemed to consider the 'good' and 'evil'. This posed another question, was Allen more like a Vizored or an Arrancar... or was he like Ichigo – a perfect combination of the two. The spirit threads that belonged to Allen had been too faint to detect the proportion between the two powers so that question would have to be left unanswered for now.

Ichigo's thoughts wandered back to when Allen had broken down. Ichigo's assumptions were starting to slide into place. If Allen had been or was still being chased by the Black Order then the reason would have most likely have been that dark soul attached to his own. This reminded Ichigo of the Visored and how they had been sentenced for execution by the Central 64, that fact alone _almost _made him glad that Aizen had put them back in their place during his warmongering. The thought of a similar case angered Ichigo; how could such a powerful organisation assume that something remotely dark was evil, it was like saying that Shinji or Nel were evil, it just wasn't right. He could feel Shiro's personality bubbling to the surface but he squashed it down again not wanting any collateral damage, or to scare Allen if he came into the room.

Moments later Ichigo was glad he was in control of his Hollow side as the door to his room opened and Allen stuck his head in as if apprehensive about entering the room. In a bid to ease Allen's apparent worries Ichigo offered him a small, reassuring smile.

"The bathroom's free now." Allen muttered shuffling into the room.

Ichigo raised a mental eyebrow at Allen's odd behaviour but then again however you look at his situation, the teen was in a house full of strangers, very odd strangers. "That's good, the bed's yours by the way, until we can find a more suitable place for you to sleep."

"Thank you." Allen replied quietly as he walked over to the large bed and sat down on it with a sigh.

"Remember that we need to take you shopping tomorrow so get some rest. I'll make sure to not wake you up when I come back." Allen nodded with a smile and Ichigo proceeded to pick up the shirt and bottoms he had chosen to sleep in and went to take a shower leaving Allen by himself.

The exorcist sat motionless for a short while before getting up and turning the light off. His eyes quickly adjusted to the darkness of the room and he walked back to the bed without tripping over anything. He pulled back the soft covers and lay down to sleep. The bed was much softer than what he remembered the beds at the Order to have been but he _had_ been sleeping in cold alleyways - not wanting to draw attention to himself through gambling or doing clown tricks for the public – for the past few months.

Allen didn't fight the sleep and was soon in the - for now - dreamless darkness of his subconscious. He could feel Nea's appreciative and content smile as he drifted off. _**'Looks like you've finally got a proper chance at happiness nephew. Make sure not to waste it.'**_

The next morning the bundle of duvet that hid Allen shifted as he woke up, he sat up and opened his eyes blearily. At first he was confused about his surroundings but when he looked around the small room he now occupied he remembered what had happened yesterday and let a true smile grace his lips. He was home.

The noise of shifting fabric made the exorcist aware of the other teen in the room. Ichigo was still asleep, encased near completely in his duvet to the point that only a few strands of orange hair stuck out of the top of the cocoon. Allen had to hold back laughter at the sight, he didn't want to wake the other teen up. He lay back on his bed and tried to get back to sleep with no success, he looked at the digital clock on the bedside table reading 6:59 and decided to wait until the other teen woke up. Just as the time changed to 7:00 the door to Ichigo's room was flung open and Isshin came sailing in through the open door with a drop-kick headed at Ichigo. "Rise and shine Ichigo!"

Allen, still slightly groggy from sleep, watched the events unfold as if it was no more than a film. Just as Isshin was about to hit where Allen guessed Ichigo's head was a hand shot out from under the duvet and grabbed hold of Isshin's ankle. A growl of "Shut up goat chin!"was slightly muffled by the cocoon encasing Ichigo. Then in one fluid movement Ichigo sat up and propelled his dad through the open window. Outside the sound of Isshin's body colliding with trash bins was heard clearly and Allen could hear the neighbours shouting. The exorcist scooted over to the window and peered out at the unmoving form of Ichigo's dad with morbid curiosity.

Allen turned to Ichigo "Is he going to be alright?"

"Yeah, he's like a cockroach, it's impossible to injure him in any conventional way." Outside a groan followed by "You did well son, there's nothing more I can teach you." could be heard.

"Does this happen often?" Allen inquired.

"Every chance he gets which is _far _too often for my liking." Ichigo grumbled out.

Allen nodded and turned back to the window to see if Ichigo's dad had gotten up yet, and true to Ichigo's word the doctor was missing from the place he landed, the trash cans back in place. Allen's stomach chose that moment to loudly announce that he was hungry. Ichigo chuckled at the loud grumble and the blush that stained Allen's face.

"We might just as well go get breakfast now that we're up." He said walking to the door.

Allen followed still blushing and cursing the consequences of having a parasitic type Innocence. Downstairs both of Ichigo's sisters were up already, Karin engrossed in the anime she was watching, her back to the rest of the room, Yuzu in the kitchen humming as she made food.

"Morning Karin, Yuzu." Ichigo said offhandedly as he walked to the kitchen.

"Good morning Yuzu-san, Karin-san." Allen smiled timidly.

"Mornin'." Was Karin's muffled reply.

"Oh, Ichi-nii, Allen-san you're up. I was about to call you down for breakfast." She turned smiling at the two teens with a spatula in her hand.

"Do you need any help?" Ichigo offered.

"Umm... you can take the plates and cutlery to the table Ichi-nii. Oh, and where's dad?"

Ichigo grabbed the plates and cutlery before setting the table for breakfast. "He's outside again, and before you ask, it was entirely his fault." Precisely at that moment there was a knock at the door. Allen noticed with curiosity that no-one bothered to answer, Yuzu set about bringing food to the table, which Ichigo was setting and Karin continued to watch TV.

Feeling out of place Allen shuffled over to the table and took a seat beside Ichigo. The knocking came again followed by some undistinguishable words that sounded like pleading. When the knocking and pleading got louder Karin took pity on their dad, she opened the door and a blur passed by her before tripping over her stuck out foot. Isshin lay sprawled over the floor, looking dishevelled with dirty smudges on his clothes. He quickly got up and run over to a huge poster of a beautiful smiling woman with long, light brown, wavy hair proceeding to fall to his knees and cry. "Masaki! What have I done wrong? Our children are being so mean to me!"

"Dad breakfast's ready." Yuzu said sternly managing to gain her dad's attention.

Breakfast was a quick affair and soon enough everyone was dressed and ready to go shopping, Isshin, Yuzu and Karin having decided to tag along with Allen and Ichigo. Allen was dressed in his only pair of clothes – a loose white dress shirt with a red ribbon under a black jacket he had borrowed from Ichigo, black skinny jeans and black knee high boots – while Ichigo was wearing a pair of beige slacks with a black belt, black, high-top converses and a dark purple shirt under a black hoodie.

The shopping trip itself was mostly uneventful, Yuzu had dragged away a disgruntled Karin, Isshin following them. Allen and Ichigo having been left by themselves got through the shopping quickly with almost dismissive efficiency then decied to go back home by foot after dropping off Allen's newly brought clothes with Ichigo's sisters and dad.

The day was warm even though it was already mid October, the leaves on the trees dotting the pavement and in various parks they passed were a beautiful range of reds, oranges and greens while the slightly chilly wind made being outside refreshing. Allen hadn't complained about his injuries and after seeing how quickly they healed in he few days that Allen was out, Ichigo had guessed that they had finished healing by now, knowing that the previously wounded area would still be tender and weak for a while.

The white-haired teen had peeked Ichigo's curiosity since he had first seen him and his spirit threads. Knowing what he did Ichigo deduced that the quick regeneration must have been either something to do with Innocence or that dark power that was in Allen's soul but considering that exorcists seemed much like shinigami the second option was more likely – humans and soul reapers didn't heal this quickly without aid.

The exorcist was mostly silent since they left the house, only asking idle questions and talking about nothing when he felt the need to fill the silence, but the silence between bursts of conversation wasn't strange or awkward but comfortable, both teenagers enjoying each other's company. Allen had noticed how Ichigo seemed reserved and distant when he wasn't talking, his eyes clouded over in thought. His actions were always cautious, his movements silent. He didn't walk, he prowled, he didn't look, he calculated and observed and when he talked he weighed what he said as if each word was precious. Ichigo had become slightly more open around Allen, letting some emotions show in his eyes – something that the exorcist hadn't seen him do even around his family.

Ichigo in turn had noticed how Allen masked his feelings with a disarming smile and constant politeness, how the white-haired exorcist hid his appearance behind a hood and effortlessly blended in with the other pedestrians. But the teen looked tense, jumping at each unusual movement or loud sound as if he was expecting an attack, a notion that Ichigo was familiar with. Ichigo had also noticed that more and more of Allen's smiles were true and not masks and started smiling more himself.

Allen paused when he saw that Ichigo had stopped walking. Allen looked up at Ichigo to try to discern what was wrong, he saw the older teen tense and look up at the slightly cloudy sky with open annoyance. Allen followed his gaze and froze. Something was tearing the sky in two in various places just like when Allen had been attacked by those natural Akuma or as Ichigo had called them, 'hollows'.

"Just like with Uryu." Ichigo commented with increasing annoyance.

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**Ha! A cliffy, I feel evil but I didn't want to write more in this chapter, that is reserved for the next. Finally Ichigo and Allen will get a chance to fight together ^^**

**Please review otherwise it seems like I'm the only one who's actually reading this fanfiction T_T**

**All flames will be used to toast marshmallows :D**


	4. Chapter 4: Problems with the Shopkeeper

**I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I got it out quite soon after the last so yey me! ^^ **

**Warnings: Blood, gore, insanity (curtsey of Shiro and Nea but mostly Shiro) and a boy x boy pairing**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Bleach or -Man**

**"Talking"**

**_'Thinking/talking to inner spirits in thoughts'_**

**"Hollow/Noah/Zanpakuto talking"**

**_'Hollow/Noah/Zanpakuto talking in thoughts'_**

* * *

Chapter 4

Problems with the Shopkeeper

"So much for a nice walk outside." Ichigo muttered. He couldn't have a single moment of peace without the fallen souls needing his attention, the soul reaper currently stationed in Karakura was useless.

"Umm... Ichigo, is it normal for there to be this many Hollows at once?" Allen asked unable to fully hide his anxiety, he had quickly hidden his now activated eye behind his hand faking a tired look.

"Huh? Oh, no, it's not. Some _idiot_ must have broken a ton of hollow bait for there to be this many. I guess I'll have to deal with _him_ later." Ichigo stated with mild anger, luckily for Allen still facing the hollows.

Allen also looked up making sure that Ichigo couldn't see his cursed eye, dropped his hand to not look suspicious and tried to suppress the shiver that the bloodthirsty souls of the hollows evoked in him. "Let me help you, I've healed enough to fight now. I know that Innocence works on them, that's how I killed that nameless hollow and these don't seem to be much stronger." Allen explained in a half pleading, half serious voice.

"I can't really stop you can I? If you want to fight them, then go ahead but in case you get tired pull back and if you need help just shout..." Ichigo trailed off searching his pockets for his shinigami badge, having found it he slammed it against his chest and his soul form separated, the badge absorbing his human body - he was thankful for that improvement that Urahara had made but he'd be dead or insane before he praised the former squad 12 captain. Ichigo's shoulder-length, sunset coloured hair turned a midnight black as soon as his soul was released.

Allen stared at the teenager clothed in black robes and couldn't help but gawk at the huge trench knife shaped sword wrapped in bandages on the soul reaper's back. _'So this is what a soul reaper looks like...' _

_**'I have to admit I was expecting something more like the usual skeleton in black rather than a normal human shaped spirit. This is much more intriguing.'**_

Allen ignored Nea as he noticed Ichigo's left hand. It was completely black – darker than his own – all the way to the wrist, where it separated into many tattoos that crawled up his arm like tendrils of smoke. The fingers were extended by viciously sharp black claws that scraped against one another as Ichigo flexed his hand. '_I guess we are more similar than I thought.'_ The soul reaper brought his right arm up to grab the hilt of his sword and Allen saw a black, plated gauntlet that encased Ichigo's hand. As soon as his fingers connected with the sword's hilt the chain dangling from it's end lengthened and wrapped around the soul reaper's arm shredding the material of his black sleeve, then the bandages around the sword unwrapped and revealed an imposing blade which Ichigo lifted onto his shoulder with ease.

"So, are you going to continue staring..." Allen blushed and looked away. "not that I mind much, but you could instead show me your Innocence, we could finish up with these hollows and be on our way to a certain menace that was probably the cause of this." Ichigo added smiling as Allen tried to make his blush die down, refusing to face Ichigo completely. Allen's embarrassment quickly turned into surprise as he saw red out of the corner of his eye, he looked up and locked eyes with Ichigo. Silver met red. Eyes the colour of blood had replaced warm chocolate but the kind, protective light in them remained, Allen's heart clenched when he saw that the soul reaper's eyes were still darkened and dimmed by a shadow of grief, loss and past horrors. Allen knew his were no better and to him, Ichigo looked like a fallen angel come to earth to save souls. Allen smiled slightly.

Ichigo's eyes widened a fraction at the sight of Allen's left eye which had turned completely black with a red pentagram in it's centre and a cog shaped silver monocle whirring around it. "Allen... your eye... what happened" Ichigo asked cautiously but quickly added, "don't tell me if you don't want to. I understand you might not want to."

"Oh, this?" Allen said pointing to his cursed eye. "It's the result of something that happened in my past, it lets me see the souls inside Akuma and from the looks of things hollows too." Allen stated evenly although he cast his eyes down at the mention of his past and when he looked up at the hollow he trembled slightly.

"Do they look that bad?" Ichigo asked tentatively but with unsuppressed curiosity.

"I've become used to Akuma souls. They look like mummified remains bound in chains, their faces always frozen in a scream, tears of grief at their actions flowing down their faces. They plead for forgiveness, to love them, to set them free. Hollows are so much different. Their souls are distorted into dark forms, chained to the monster's body with a single thin, rusted chain. Most of the one's up there aren't that hard to deal with, they mutter to themselves about hunger, about emptiness. But some... some grin and laugh with amusement and blood-lust as they talk of blood and slaughter." Allen's finished barely a whisper, his shoulders shaking.

Ichigo knew no words to say to what Allen had just told him, he had seen horrors too but it must be hard to see something that no-one else can see. Ichigo placed his hand on Allen's shoulder and squeezed it lightly, letting his spirit pressure cover the two of them in it's protective embrace. An idea came to Ichigo and made him turn Allen to face him. "Can you show me, I never had to know what I was purifying. I would like to see what you see."

Allen stared at Ichigo. No-one had asked this of him before. Why would someone ask to see something that would haunt them for the rest of their lives? He remembered that he had once somehow allowed Lavi to see the souls once, back in Krory's castle. Ichigo's determination encouraged Allen, he closed his eyes and concentrated on what it had felt like to let his curse's powers expand. Letting them flow around him. He knew he had done it when he heard a small gasp from next to him.

Ichigo was looking at the hollows, then he felt something prod at his spiritual powers, seeking allowance to show him truth. He let it in and couldn't hold back the gasp that escaped his mouth as souls materialised, attached to all the hollows. Allen was right, they all looked tortured in some form accept for the few that seemed to be relishing the blood-lust that came with being a hollow. Ichigo looked with disgust at them, those souls were headed straight to hell, a voice in the back of his mind told him, they were sinners. The rest he simply pitied as they raved maddeningly about cold that replaced a hollow's memories, the loneliness that gnawed at their sanity and the hunger that drove them to kill.

"I wasn't expecting this..." Ichigo continued to look around from soul to soul. He came back to reality as the hollows noticed them. "Allen, your Innocence."

Allen nodded and concentrated on his left arm and called on his power. "Innocence, activate. Crown Clown." Ichigo watched with awe as a pure white cloak enveloped Allen forming a white trench coat undone at the front with a hood lined with fur. An intricate silver mask hung at Allen's neck, half with simple black decorations, half with complex engraved patterns. His right arm become completely enveloped in the white fabric of his coat with a silver cuff while his left arm became larger and metallic with spindly claw shaped blades that cruelly reflect the sunlight promising death.

"Now that's something else. Although I think it's misnamed, you look like and vengeful angel, not a clown." Allen's blush quickly returned causing Ichigo to smile.

Ichigo looked back up at the gathering hollows that had started to pick up on their spiritual power, although more Allen's than Ichigo's as Ichigo had his power mostly suppressed. "Now, how about we send this lot on to Soul Society."

Allen nodded and watched with shock as Ichigo disappeared in a whisper of air. Shaking himself off and remembering to add teleportation to the list of subjects he wanted to ask Ichigo about Allen extended Crown Belt in a web below him lifting his form into the air. He then used the momentum to jump at the closest hollow and pierce its mask with a single claw, noticing with satisfaction that the ghastly monster disappeared straight away and the soul glowed blue before vanishing.

He continued jumping from hollow to hollow using Crown Belt to pull himself to them and quickly disposing of the fallen souls. He could see a black blur from time to time as Ichigo purified hollows further from Allen. The exorcist paused momentarily as he felt a heavy pressure gathering to his right, he turned to see Ichigo, standing in mid-air with his sword drawn back and glowing with black flames. "Getsuga Tensho!" The soul reaper muttered and let loose an arc of pure black energy. "Show off." Allen mumbled as the arc ploughed through the air tearing apart hollow after hollow before dissipating a fair distance from where Ichigo had stood. The black attack did leave Allen's senses on edge. Whatever it was made of felt powerful and dark but strangely not evil - not that he suspected Ichigo of being evil, he was used to dark being equal to evil, take the Noah for example. Then again it could have just been the endless times that the mentality of the Black Order had been drilled into him.

_**'How about you show him what you can do Allen? You should be strong enough to something more complex than just your base Innocence now.'**_

Allen smirked and and pulled himself towards a centipede shaped hollow, he scratched a cross into its mask. "Cross Grave!" Allen shouted pulling his arm back, the cross engraved into the hollow's mask glowed white and spread to split the hollow into quarters, the same happened to all hollows within a considerable distance around Allen, effectively purifying them. Allen's smirk turned into a full grin as he continued to purify the hollows occasionally using cross grave to clear a larger amount at once. He would have preferred to use it more but he could feel it tiring him out. At least he wasn't helpless.

Ichigo had to admit he was impressed Allen may not look to have an ability close to shunpo or hirenkyaku but his use of the white material that his Crown Clown was made up of made up for that. He didn't have the speed or manoeuvrability that accompanied either of the spirit techniques but he made up for it with experience and some very precise acrobatics that let him turn while hurtling at full speed towards a hollow.

Shunpo'ing from hollow to hollow wasn't giving much progress so Ichigo decided to take it up a notch. He stopped in mid-air and drew his sword back, condensing reiatsu into the blade. He swung it forwards, making sure that Allen was far enough away from the blast – however fast he may move, Allen wouldn't be fast enough to get out of the way of a Getsuga Tensho and Ichigo didn't want to obliterate the material body of a boy he just met, no matter how amusing Shiro would find it. "Getsuga Tensho!" Ichigo said to himself releasing the reiatsu inside his sword into a pitch black crescent of reiatsu.

The technique dissipated quite quickly and Ichigo continued shoot Getsuga Tensho's at any nearby hollows speeding up their extermination. Between using his signature technique he would go back to shunpo'ing between hollows.

Very soon the gargantas that let hollows into the living world started to close as the hollow bait wore off, finally progress could be seen in the decrease of minus souls in the area and very quickly. Ichigo breathed a tankful sigh as he slayed the last of the hollows and shunpo'ed back to the ground where Allen was standing looking slightly ragged but not battered or hurt in anyway.

"You did great back there!" Ichigo clapped Allen on the shoulder.

"You too. First time I saw a soul reaper but I have to say that I'm impressed." Allen grinned at Ichigo.

Allen deactivated his Innocence and was hit by a sudden feeling of vertigo. The floor was flying towards him and he couldn't make his muscled move more than a pathetic twitch. Strong, lean arms caught him as his face was inches off the cement, the exorcist looked up to see a frowning Ichigo, his eyes brimmed with worry.

"You ok? Did you overdo it back there?" He asked softly helping Allen back up to his feet and steadying him with an arm around his back.

"Yeah, I'll be fine. I guess I haven't recovered as much strength as I thought I did." Allen laughed lightly to himself. "Umm... I may have a small problem though... my legs refuse to move for some odd reason..." Allen trailed off with a faint blush.

"Don't worry about it, if it's only that then you should be fine soon. Now, how about we go see about this menace that has ruined our peaceful walk?" Allen nodded slowly trying to figure out how he'd get there considering he couldn't move his legs all that much. Allen's question was soon answered as he felt Ichigo shift around him and lift him so he was carrying Allen bridal style. Allen felt more blood rush to his face and looked wide-eyed up at Ichigo.

"What's with that look? You can't walk for now so I'm carrying you." Ichigo explained easily.

"But... I... but... aren't I heavy?" Allen mentally glared at himself, _'Of all the arguments... _that _is what I choose to say?' _It didn't help that Nea was laughing at him uncontrollably.

"Nah, you're not that heavy and anyway even if you were, a shinigami's body is much stronger than a human's so no worries." Ichigo grinned down at the glaring Allen and started to make his way towards Urahara Shoten.

Allen remembered the questions that had piled themselves up since he met Ichigo. "Ichigo, why did your hair and eyes change colour when you went shinigami-mode?"

_'Shinigami-mode? Never been called that before.' _Ichigo mused to himself before answering. "It is quite a change isn't it? It's kind of recent. After a certain encounter my soul became more shinigami than human when my reiatsu merged with the reiatsu of Zangetsu – my sword spirit. My reiatsu is black and red and like with a few others I know it influenced my appearance, changing my hair and eye colour."

"I like it, it makes you look like a true God of Death." Allen smiled up at Ichigo making his lips curl up slightly too. "Oh, that reminds me, can all soul reapers teleport like you did back with the hollows?"

"Teleport? Oh, you mean shunpo. It's not teleportation, I just use my spirit power to move faster, it's something that all soul reapers have the ability to learn but not all reach the point at which it's considered a shunpo. Oh, and if you're wondering about how I can stand in the air, it's based off the same principle – I just harden the spirit particles in the air under my feet."

"That's awesome, you were even quicker than Lenalee." Allen's look turned distant as he mentioned the girl's name, she must have been someone from the Black Order too, probably a close friend. Ichigo's eyes lit up with mischief as an idea popped into his head.

"Allen, how about I shunpo the rest of the way so you can see what it's like?" Allen looked back up at Ichigo quizzically.

"Umm... sure." Ichigo grinned internally at Allen's uncertainty. _'Let's see how he handles a captain level shunpo.'_

Ichigo nodded down at the exorcist as a silent warning for what he was going to do next then flew forwards in a burst of shunpo. The buildings around them turning into a blur of indistinguishable colours. Allen felt the force of going into such a high speed movement hit him like a truck, knocking some of the air out of his lungs. He squinted his eyes at the rush or air that hit his face, the wind howled in his ears.

Ichigo fell out of shunpo for a second to let Allen catch his breath before he started again. He himself loved the freedom that came with travelling by shunpo, you felt weightless, unbound by rules of physics. He looked down at the white-haired teen in his arms and smiled, the exorcist seemed to be enjoying it too as could be seen by the small grin on his face.

Allen was smiling, he felt like he was flying. After Ichigo had gone back into shunpo Allen knew what to expect so had managed to steady his breath and was enjoying the experience more. A random thought came to him, soul reapers truly were more like angels than the undead skeletons of children's stories.

He felt a slight tug as Ichigo stopped for the second time. When his vision settled he came face to face with a dilapidated, old shop, a sign above the entrance read 'Urahara Shoten'. A boy with red, slicked back hair was standing before the shop waving his broom animatedly at a black-haired girl who was sweeping up the remains of a wooden box. Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the usual behaviour and after another minute or so the boy noticed him.

"Hey Strawberry! Should I get Urahara for ya?" He grinned cockily and half turned towards the shop.

"You might as well get Geta-boushi. Oh, and you may want to remember. Don't. Call. Me. _Strawberry_." Ichigo's voice turned menacing and the boy run inside the shop to get Urahara – at least that's what he kept on telling himself, there was _no_ way he was scared of the orange-haired soul reaper.

Ichigo looked at Allen. "Can you walk now?"

Allen's head snapped up out of his thoughts, he grinned sheepishly. "I can try, I think I should be able to at least stand by now."

Ichigo lowered him to his feet and let go of him. Allen felt like pouting at the loss of contact with the soul reaper but when his knees threatened to give again and Ichigo's arm snuck around his back to hold him up Allen smiled. Ichigo laughed slightly, the sound was deep but cheerful. "Maybe not yet, but at least you aren't dead set on kissing the floor again."

Allen laughed along but couldn't help the slight tinge of embarrassed red on his cheeks at the memory.

"Why hello Kurosaki-kun~ How nice of you to drop by~" Came a sing-song voice from the entrance to the Shoten. Standing there was a man in a green haori with a white diamond pattern, a green and white stripped bucket hat casting a shadow over his face. He was waving a fan in a way that covered the rest of his face - leaving only the eyes visible. From under the hat chin-length blond hair stuck out at random angles. He closed the shoji doors behind him and bowed slightly to the soul reaper and exorcist.

"Urahara-san." Ichigo forced out the polite suffix through clenched teeth. "What idiot broke the hollow bait?"

"Why Kurosaki-kun, straight to the point like always. Why don't we go inside for some tea?" Allen could see Ichigo getting more and more irritated and he himself couldn't help but feel the same. He concluded that the blond man must have a unique talent for annoying others.

"Urahara. Just. Answer. The. Question." Ichigo looked like he was about to tear something apart and Allen could feel Ichigo clench his fist into his shirt. The shopkeeper didn't say anything but instead walked towards Ichigo with deliberate slowness while waking his fan continuously.

"So that's a 'no' for the tea then?" That was all that Ichigo needed to snap and before Allen could register what happened Urahara was flying through the doors of his own Shoten breaking them into pieces, he landed in a heap in the centre of his shop. Allen was taken aback slightly by how quickly Ichigo had snapped and was still staring at the twitching pile of green and white in the shop.

"Answer the question or I swear, I'll have another _sparring_ session with you!"

"Kurosaki-san could you please calm down." Allen jumped at the sound from behind him and Ichigo turned slightly to face Tessai and nodded in greeting. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble. I'll explain what happened."

"We had a new delivery of hollow bait and I got the children to take it to the storage room. Jinta was having a go at Ururu again and it escalated until Jinta decided that it would be a good idea to attack Ururu with what he was holding, which happened to be a box of hollow bait. He broke the box and the bait inside. But don't worry Kurosaki-san, his behaviour has been dealt with and he's now on cleaning duty for the rest of the week."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at the punishment but said nothing. It was impossible to argue with Tessai.

"Oh, Kurosaki-kun~ I see you have a new friend with you~" Urahara's unmistakable voice resounded from the entrance of the shop again. "How about you introduce us Kurosaki-kun~"

Ichigo sighed in defeat. "Urahara-san, this is Allen Walker..." Ichigo trailed off looking at Allen for permission, and Allen nodded understanding. "an ex-exorcist. Allen, that's Urahara, the crazy scientist and ex-captain of the twelfth division in Soul Society."

"Why Kurosaki-kun, I'm just a humble candy shop owner." Urahara said with feigned hurt.

"Humble by ass." Ichigo muttered under his breath.

"But an ex-exorcist, that's new. A pleasure to meet you Walker-kun."

"It's nice to meet you too Urahara-san." Allen bowed to the shopkeeper with his signature smile plastered on his face. It really was a perfect mask, his eyes were closed while he smiled making sure no-one saw that the smile didn't reach anywhere near them.

"Right, we should be getting home now. Allen can you walk yet?"

"I think so, but I'm still slightly shaky." Ichigo nodded and let go of Allen to take out his shinigami badge. He slammed it into his chest again ejecting his human body from it and going back into it before placing the badge back in his pocket.

Ichigo supported Allen again as they turned to walk away. "See ya Geta-boushi!"

"Bye Urahara-san." Allen replied turning away. Out of the corner of his ye he swore he saw a flash of red inside the shop.

Urahara turned and walked back into the shop.

"I expected him to get to at least Japan, but to get to Karakura. I'll admit I'm impressed. And he befriended a soul reaper – the God Slayer no less – the kid never ceases to surprise me." A deep, rough voice spoke from the back of the shop.

"You have to make sure Ichigo doesn't hear you say that, he doesn't appreciate the title. As for the kid, he really is something isn't he?" The shopkeeper mused. "Now how about we go back to our tea?"

* * *

**Yey! I managed to get this chapter out quite soon but I was hoping for at least Monday. Ah, well. **

**So, who's the mysterious stranger with Urahara? (I bet most of you have already guessed)**

**All flames will be used to toast marshmallows :D**


	5. Chapter 5: Haunt

**GAH! I feel horrible, this took so long to write. A thousand apologies to all! **

**On another note, another chapter of DGM and only one comment... what the hell just happened?! O.o Also, also I'm sorry for the explanations – I suck at those – but I hope you get the general idea of what I was going for**

**Warnings: Blood, gore, violence, insanity (curtsey of Shiro and Nea) and a boy x boy pairing**

**Disclaimer: Me no own Bleach or D. Gray-Man**

**"Talking"**

**_'Thinking/talking to inner spirits in thoughts'_**

**"Hollow/Noah/Zanpakuto talking"**

**_'Hollow/Noah/Zanpakuto talking in thoughts'_**

* * *

Chapter 5

Haunt

Allen stole a glance up at Ichigo, the setting sun casting a playful and happy glow to his untamed orange hair, his facial features were relaxed and more expressive than usually but his eyes were a cold, dim brown like always. The ex-exorcist wondered what their true color was like, if it was more like molten chocolate or cinnamon or maybe even amber. He couldn't help but try to understand what had made Ichigo shut himself away from the world like that – because there was no mistaking it, Ichigo was hiding his true self inside of himself – if it was because he had been hurt before or seen other hurt it seemed to Allen that he would never know but one thing he knew for certain, Ichigo had to have some hideous skeletons in his closet and Allen knew all to well what that was like.

The streets were nearly empty as the damp frosty weather drove people to stay indoors, a biting wind made fallen leaves spin and dance in the air. Allen smiled to himself, he could get used to a life like this – no, he had already gotten used to it even if today was only his second day experiencing it. Sure it wasn't an ideal life there was still danger and uncertainty, with Hollows instead of Akuma and a world – or spirit world as Ichigo had so expressly stated – that Allen knew nothing about.

He let out a small sigh, at least he was away from the Black Order and its twisted thinking. He wasn't going to deny that he missed the family that he temporarily had there but he also wasn't going to lie to himself and say that such a family could have lasted long - it had already started to fall apart and now that he thought back on it, their acceptance had always seemed at least partially forced – first because of his age and their doubts about his ability then when they found out he was Nea's host. He also knew that they blamed him as he blamed himself for all the deaths that he had the chance to but failed to stop - not that they tried to hide it. Tup and others he never got to know before the attack on the European Headquarters, Suman Dark, General Cross Marian, Kanda and Alma. He smiled a small self-satisfied grin, even during his _stay_ with CROW he hadn't let slip where he sent Alma and Kanda to.

Then there was the subject of Tyki Mikk. He still didn't understand how the Sword of Exorcism could have failed, it had seemed to work at first and then out of nowhere Tyki awakened his full Noah form. He couldn't be both White - the poker-playing mine worker – and Black - the Noah of Pleasure - in the same body and it seemed that Allen took away his right to choose when he lost one side of himself. Allen now wondered how long it would be before he lost himself too, after all if Tyki couldn't be human and Noah then there was no way that Allen could be both Exorcist and Noah for long.

_**'Don't worry Allen. We're different. Tyki only had a White and Black side because he refused to fully accept his Noah side while that side tried to take him over-'**_

_'Like you did before?' _Came Allen's dejected question and Nea felt his nephew's, his White's, pain and cursed himself for not explaining before.

_**'Allen, you must understand that it wasn't by choice,' **_Nea stressed with a worried tone. **_'your Innocence was trying to rip me out of your mind and was destroying your subconscious because of how how closely I was tied to it – it stopped as soon as you accepted me though, curious I must say. _**

_**'I had no choice but fight back and while doing so I caused some of your power to turn into that of a Noah but you having yet to accept me caused it had to manifest itself in another form – one that you wouldn't have to come in direct contact to – that was the black shadow you saw in reflections. Whenever I 'took over' it was only my Noah power lashing out in an attempt to stop you Innocence.' **_He felt his White relax, thanks to the partial merging of their souls Allen could hopefully feel that Nea was being genuine and telling the truth.

_'What about the whole 'I'll be the next Millennium Earl' thing?' _Allen asked doubtfully.

_**'Ah, that. Well the thing is, I wasn't supposed to exist. Not yet anyway. As you already know there can only be thirteen Noah at once and each time a Noah dies a random human's Noah gene awakens at any given time afterwards. With me though something went wrong in the process - I'm still trying to discover what – and I turned before the Noah I was supposed to replace died. You probably guessed this by now but I'm supposed to be the next 'first Noah' or the next Earl.' **_He felt Allen tense and hoped that the rest of what he would have to say would calm his White down.

_**'As I explained earlier your Innocence has got a knack or had one before we merged souls for attacking me at the most inappropriate of times. When you fought against Alma and Kanda it seemed to get very desperate and the Noah powers that manifested were much stronger than usually, this caused the 'desire' ingrained into my Noah memory to awaken, that being to be the leader of the Noah and the next Earl.' **_Nea finished with a sigh.

_'So every time I was possessed by you or saw you outside of my mind it was just your powers?' _Allen asked having to make sure.

_**'Yes, that's the gist of it. I'm truly sorry for having caused you all that pain and trouble Allen, believe me if there had been another way I would have gladly taken it but even leaving your mind and soul was not an option as I told you earlier, the effect that would have had on your mind and soul would have been equal to meat through an industrial shredder – a huge, bloody, mess.'**_

Nea couldn't help but laugh as Allen shuddered at the description. _'That last part was overly descriptive but you could have mentioned the rest earlier.' _Allen scolded with relief.

_**'You didn't ask – well it's also unlikely that you would have believed me earlier.'**_

_'Are you doubting me?' _Allen pouted at Nea.

_**'Never, my White. Never.' **_Nea chuckled.

While Allen and Nea were having a conversation Ichigo on the other hand couldn't stop thinking back to the meeting with Urahara. It had left him with an itching feeling that something more was going on than the exiled Shinigami let on. He let his mind run through the conversation they had and chided himself when he figured it out. It was so simple, Urahara had pretty much thrown it out for all to see but as Ichigo had found out too many times by now, sometimes the most obvious things are overlooked in exchange for looking for the supposedly complicated double meaning and unsaid words in a conversation.

The Shinigami could almost feel Zangetsu giving him an unimpressed look. Ichigo sighed quietly – at least he had some of his old personality left, maybe that was what made it so easy to adapt to being merged with his Hollow and Zanpakuto souls. Getting his thoughts back to the recent realisation he noted that Urahara hadn't acted like a kid in a candy shop as soon as Ichigo mentioned exorcists. Which was much unlike the shopkeeper. No pestering about details of the organisation or powers or job that they did. Having known Urahara for only two years Ichigo already knew what to expect and dismissal of the prospect of finding out more about a secret organisation was not on the list. The only explanation that Ichigo could come up with so far was that Urahara already found out about exorcists from the source – which Ichigo wouldn't put past him – or that something to do with exorcists happened within Karakura Town before – this prospect made Ichigo shudder, noting good could have happened if Urahara was involved.

"Move back a bit." Ichigo warned pointing behind himself to the side of the door. Allen gave him a questioning look but did as he was asked. Ichigo reached for the doorknob and turned it before quickly stepping back as his father sailed through the door shouting "You're late my darling son!" before unceremoniously hitting the cobbled pathway with a pitiful groan.

Ichigo poked Allen in the cheek multiple times before Allen shook his surprise off and looked up at him "Come in Allen, before he wakes up." Allen nodded dully and followed Ichigo inside. And here he thought that Isshin Kurosaki couldn't get any more strange.

"Ichi-nii, Allen-nii-san, you're home." Yuzu beamed from the couch.

"Hello Yuzu-chan, Karin-chan." Allen answered just as brightly.

"Hey Yuzu, Karin. What're you watching?" Ichigo asked offhandedly.

There was a grunt from the couch as Yuzu elbowed Karin. "Hey nii-san, Allen-kun. We're just watching Naruto." Karin answered Ichigo's question sounding distracted. Ichigo couldn't see what was so amazing about the series but didn't see a reason to make any comments on his sisters' tastes.

"Yuzu, do you know where my and Allen's shopping is?"

"Sure, I think dad left it by the stairs. Dinner will be in a few hours, I'll call you two down when it's ready." She informed the pair pointing to the staircase where bags were piled up against the wall but before either Allen or Ichigo could move to get them someone started banging on the front door.

"Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu-chan, Allen-kun, anyone! Let me in!" Noticing that the shout was ignored by the rest of the family Allen followed their example and went to help Ichigo carry their shopping upstairs.

Once done Ichigo went straight to finishing up his homework, Allen had already gravitated to the bookshelf and picked out a few books he was interested in. The rest of the day passed is a similarly calm fashion. Until dinner that is...

"Nii-san! Allen-nii-san! Dinner's ready!." Yuzu shouted from downstairs.

"We're coming!" Ichigo called back down and smiled to Allen motioning for him to go first. Allen gave a small smile back and put the book he was reading down going downstairs. As Ichigo passed where Allen had sat he saw that Allen had been reading _Grimm's Fairy Tales _- one of the only books from his childhood that Ichigo decided to keep. On the pile to the side that Allen had still wanted to read was two of Ichigo's favourite Shakespearean plays, Loveless and a book of horror stories. That caused a smirk to dawn on Ichigo's face, it looked like they had a similar taste in books.

Downstairs Allen was helping Yuzu set up the table and bring the curry she had cooked onto the table, Isshin and Karin were already seated and while Isshin was waiting somewhat patiently Karin was falling asleep in her seat. Ichigo walked into the living room and sat down opposite Karin, Allen sat down next to him while Yuzu sat next to Karin.

As everyone was finishing up Isshin turned to Allen, "I wanted to tell you this earlier my dear second son but after Ichigo locked me out it seemed that no-one heard me. Anyway, Urahara a friend of mine with too many connections to count has managed to get you a place at Karakura High, the school Ichigo goes to. He made sure you were in his year so don't worry about that and dropped off you uniform earlier, I told him you were Ichigo's old size so it it should fit you fine."

Allen waited until that sunk in. His eyes widened a little as he realised, he was going to school... for the first time in his life. He had no idea what to expect. How far behind would he be? What was it even like to be with so many people your age... to act like a child. Allen swallowed around a lump in his throat. "Thank you Isshin-san. I appreciate you setting this up for me..." he continued uncertainly, "I- I've never been to school before."

"Ever?"

"Well... my adoptive father taught me the basics then Master Cross taught me since I was five but that womanising bastard only taught me how to be exorcist, and even that was taught only when he wasn't _working _oh so_ diligently _to increase his debts." Allen's face was set in a disgusted frown, "Then at the Order they taught us about strategy and staying alive. That's it though. I've never been to an actual school."

Isshin had been nodding along to Allen's explanation with an occasional frown of disapproval at the boy's past. "That can be worked with, I'm sure Ichigo will gladly help you with any problems you may have." Ichigo nodded in approval to this. "My idiot son my look like and have the reputation of a delinquent but he's ranked 18th in his year."

This earned Isshin a kick to the gut that sent him into the wall behind him with a groan. "I am not a delinquent Goat-chin!" Allen smirked widely as Ichigo continued to stomp on his father's unconscious body.

"Ichi-nii stop hurting dad. He might deserve it but that doesn't mean you have to lowers yourself to his level." The usually kind Yuzu commented with a malicious smile. She turned to Allen, "Allen how about you go try on your uniform it's in that paper bag by the stairs, I'll get Ichigo to go up to you once he snaps out of it." Allen nodded his consent and did as he was told, he wasn't willing to experience this side of Yuzu yet.

_Allen opened his eyes to darkness. He felt his arms restrained above his head by cuffs lifting him off the ground so only his toes touched the cold, damp stone floor underneath them. His mind ground to a halt. He knew exactly where he was. His hope to never have to see this place again shattered. _'Why am I here? Nea? Nea! Where are you Nea...' _No response, just silence._

_He froze completely as soon he heard a door creaking open letting in a slither of light from a lamp, part of a red robe showed through the door as the CROW member entered. The increased brightness from the lamp blinded Allen momentarily causing him to close his eyes and not notice the hand moving towards his face until a loud slap resounded throughout the room as a gauntleted hand connected with Allen's cheek followed by a punch to the stomach wound left behind by Kanda. He let out a short pained scream before going still again. The CROW member grabbed Allen's chin and pulled his head harshly to face him._

"_Now, are you going to admit to betraying the Holy Black Order for the Noah family, gathering information on the Order's proceeding for them, defending Akuma and Fallen as well as harbouring a Noah within yourself or do we have to continue he _interrogation_?" Allen didn't even protest anymore to the accusations fired at him, it's not like they'd listen to him anyway unless he admitted to said preposterous accusations. Refusing to even acknowledge the question Allen let his eyes wonder over the room now that it was lit. It was barren with unidentifiable stains on the stone – most likely blood – and patches of dark green mould growing untouched in the corners. _

_Allen could feel tears of pain flow freely from his eyes as the CROW set about reopening his wounds. Why are all CROW so sadistic? They are part Akuma after all..._

_That last thought caused the whole scene to shift. Allen was still in the same position hanging from chains that as he looked up vanished into thin air at the point where they were earlier attached to the ceiling. _

"_Allen..." Allen turned his head immediately at the familiar voice, his eyes widened seeing blurred but familiar face. _

"_Mana?" The exorcist's voice was barely a whisper, so filled with fear, grief and relief it was heartbreaking to hear._

"_Allen! Why aren't you helping me!?" Taken aback Allen tried to focus on the still fuzzy figure of his foster father. The image cleared with the effect of a misty veil being lifted and Allen gasped. Mana sat slumped against the stone wall behind him surrounded by an alarming amount of dark red. It was splattered across the walls, dripping down them like wet spray paint and covered most of Mana's clothing._

_Strangely the dying man was staring to Allen's left. Allen not being able to move forwards to help his guardian followed his gaze instead and couldn't help but frown. Neah stood next to him staring coldly down at Mana, holding a sword made of Dark Matter that reminded Allen of the White Ark Gate with its fractured appearance._

_Allen felt the chains around his arms crumble and as soon as he was free he stumbled towards Mana to try to help. He couldn't let his father die. Not when he had saved him from the life of a street child._

_Mana's gaze snapped to Allen and became filled with such hatred that Allen stopped in his tracks. "Earl." He uttered the name like a disease staring straight at Allen. "It's all your fault! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO NEAH! WHERE'S ALLEN?!" _

"_Mana?" _

"_Don't mock me Earl. Release my brother and son!" Mana growled out before scowling in pain._

_Allen was dumbstruck. Mana thought he was the _Earl_ of all people? Why was Neah standing there like a statue? What was going on? Was Mana under one of Road's illusions? _

_He was promptly snapped out of his thoughts as he felt a familiar weight form in his right hand. The Sword of Exorcism. He looked down feeling something wasn't right. His feet kept on moving even as he screamed inside his head to stop. _

_He was holding the Earl's sword._

_His right arm lifted positioning the sword and as he felt his mouth turn into a grin despite the tears that fell from his eyes he thrust the sword forwards stabbing Mana straight through his middle, destroying his heart, lungs and spine._

_Allen felt control return to him as he collapsed onto his knees silently, blood poured out of Mana's mouth as he uttered four words that broke Allen completely._

"_Traitor." He coughed weakly splattering blood everywhere. "Rot in hell..."_

_The words echoed around Allen continuously as everything turned inky black. _

_**'Allen, you have to wake up! Allen, it's not real. Please wake up...' **_The voice sounded layered, one coming from inside his mind, the other from right beside his ear.

Allen felt a comforting warmth envelop him and stiffened before relaxing into it with a sigh.

It was long past midnight and Ichigo stood dressed in his soul reaper clothes in his gravity defying world of sideways skyscrapers. He knew he should be asleep not fighting with Shiro but he was nowhere nearly tired enough to avoid the nightmares that always sent him tumbling head first into a dark pit he never wanted to visit again – once was enough and it was only thanks to Shiro that he had crawled back out. But no, what his sleep held was not truly nightmares but crushing memories that sent his inner world underwater each time they surfaced. They weighed on his shoulders like invisible led weights – in a twisted way he felt like Wabisuke, although he knew he looked nowhere near as beaten down as Kira's Zanpakuto spirit.

"**Kuro! I thought you wanted to fight you shithead!" **Cackled his hollow from a few skyscrapers over.

"I think that's enough for tonight Shiro." Ichigo answered calmly, his voice wavering slightly as some memories tried to surface despite his fully awake state.

He heard Shiro stab Zangetsu back into the ground, the sword along with Ichigo's own merging to form Zangetsu's spirit form besides the struggling Shinigami followed by the familiar sonic boom of sonido left Ichigo with the other two aspects of his soul standing beside him giving him silent comfort as he gathered his emotions under control again – he couldn't let them loose, he had no wish to worry his family or harm them if his reiatsu flew out from under his control.

"**Ichigo, your exorcist may need you now..."**Ichigo looked up at Zangetsu questioningly. **"You're not the only one with unpleasant experiences."**

Ichigo's eyes widened slightly. Was Allen having nightmares? He looked to Zangetsu who nodded answering the unspoken question. Instantly the soul reaper was gone from his inner world leaving a grinning Hollow and a Zanpakuto spirit with a serene look on his face.

"**Looks like Kuro won't be sulking much longer! Just a shame he's such a dense moron sometimes." **Shiro cackled but lacked the usual madness and malice.

Opening his eyes Ichigo looked around regaining his bearings and sitting up. His gaze quickly snapped to his white-haired angel on the bed next to him. From his spot on the floor Ichigo couldn't see much of Allen but the soft, pained whimpers and mumbling coming from the duvet mound was enough for Ichigo to realise Zangetsu was right. He didn't even question his quick reaction – he knew how bad memories could be when they plagued you in your dreams.

Ichigo stood up and crossed the small distance between himself and his bed where Allen was sleeping. Ichigo's heart clenched when he saw the boy curled in on himself shaking in the troughs of a his nightmare. Without another thought he sat on the bed, back against the headboard and placed his hand on where he assumed Allen's arm was and stroking it in what he hopped was a comforting manner. It seemed to work as Allen relaxed but the effect was soon taken over by the nightmare and Allen was again tense and trembling.

"No..." Ichigo heard Allen mumble, "...stop..." that made the reaper's blood boil. What was Allen dreaming of? Who was hurting him? Who _could_ hurt such a kind, open angel? "Allen." He tried to coax the boy. "Allen you have to wake up." Allen didn't respond to Ichigo's pleas but looked to be trying to curl in on himself even more, arms moving over his head as if shielding his body from blows.

Ichigo couldn't take looking at the boy in so much distress any longer and moved closer to him until his side was touching Allen's back. He carefully leaned over the boy wrapping his arms around him before carefully pulling him into his lap as not to startle the boy. Once he had settled the exorcist in his lap he wrapped his arms around him in an attempt to give him as much comfort as he could.

Allen stopped shaking but didn't relax and kept on muttering unintelligible words. Ichigo rested his chin on Allen's shoulder and closed his eyes focusing on his bottomless reiatsu reserve. He concentrated on only Shinigami reiatsu and poured the feelings that he hoped would calm Allen down into it - protection, comfort, love. Ichigo frowned, where had that last one come from? Deciding to file the thought away for later he went along with the gut feeling that had saved him many times before and just continued.

Ichigo looked down at Allen's face, it was frozen in a petrified look, tears rolling down his pale skin. "Mana..." Allen's distraught whimper made Ichigo hold his tighter as he released the hold on his reiatsu slightly and let it envelop the two of them.

Allen relaxed almost instantly much to Ichigo's relief before opening his eyes slowly.

"Ichigo?" Allen's voice had a slight tremble to it, Ichigo smiled softly down at him releasing his hold on the boy and moving to get Allen off his lap so he could go back to his bed. Much to his surprise Allen grabbed his loose shirt and pulled himself into it seeking more comfort from the older teen.

Allen buried his head between where his hands held a death grip on the shirt and mumbled against Ichigo's chest, "Please stay." Ichigo looked down at the boy, amber meeting silver as Allen looked back up at him pleadingly.

"Don't worry I'm not going anywhere." He replied sliding down until he was laying sideways with Allen held against him protectively. He felt the boy smile against him and couldn't help but hold the boy closer.

"Thank you." Allen's sleepy mutter was heard by Ichigo who too could feel himself slipping into a dreamless sleep.

* * *

**~IMPORTANT~**

**Before I can do much with the next chapter I'll need two male OC characters or two male characters from another anime (make sure that they have FULL descriptions as in personality, looks, quirks) they will both have a very important role in the story human world wise. Feel free to submit them as a couple, it'll save me some work – ****_hint, hint_**** ^.^ - I'll pick the one which works best with what I have in mind.**

**~SHAMELESS ADVERTISING~**

**I have a new fanfic project that just appeared out of nowhere – as they tend to do. I think this is the weirdest one I have had in quite a while, if you want to read it then go ahead, it's called 'His Exorcist, His Noah' it's a D. G-M/The Hobbit crossover (wierd right?). The pairing is Allen/Neah... yeah... it's gonna be a nightmarishly fun to write ^^ I'll be posting the first chapter soon-ish.**

**All flames will be used to toast marshmallows ^^**


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